Death of Cambridge man in fire ruled a suicide

Wednesday

Sep 5, 2018 at 7:23 AMSep 5, 2018 at 8:31 AM

The Guernsey County Coroner’s Office has ruled the injuries that claimed the life of a 62-year-old Cobo Lane resident Monday morning were self-inflicted.

"The autopsy didn’t show any other injuries other than the fire," said Guernsey County Coroner Dr. Sandra Schubert after the preliminary autopsy results were received Tuesday from the Licking County Coroner’s Office. "Sadly, this was a suicide."

The autopsy for James Kafury was conducted Tuesday morning after his body was discovered at a fire scene on Cobo Lane at approximately 8:47 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

According to a Cambridge police report, officers responded to the 1300 block of Cobo Lane after smoke was seen coming from the residence. Upon arrival, officers reported smoke was visible coming from a window and door on the south side of the house.

Police said neighbors were unsure if anybody was inside the home, but a vehicle registered to Kafury was parked in the driveway.

With flames visible under the door on the south side of the home where it appeared a storage area had been attached to the house, officers forced entry through the front door and checked the main part of the home for occupants. Police did not locate anybody in the main living area.

Firefighters arrived at that time and made entry to the area where the flames were visible, locating Kafury’s body. He was then pronounced dead by emergency responders at the scene.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames inside the home.

A woman identified as Kafury’s girlfriend reportedly told police she had spent the night at the residence Sunday night and he arose at approximately 5 a.m. Monday to take a walk. Officers said she advised she left at 8 a.m. and he had not returned from the walk.

Cambridge fire investigators reportedly requested investigators from the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office to assist with the investigation into the cause of the fire.

The residence suffered fire, smoke and water damage, but reports indicate it was not a total loss. No damage estimate was available as of press time.

The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Daily Jeffersonian ~ 831 Wheeling Ave., Cambridge, OH 43725 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service